Lips of Paint and a Heart of Ink
by BatmanRules256
Summary: Mary and Ib were sisters. That's all anyone knew. They were quite close, even more than just sisters. But, that's not important right now. It's a snowy day, the first Mary's ever seen. Enjoy a fluffy story about these two enjoying the snow. It could become something even more.


Together, Forever

"Come on, Ib!" The blonde pulled the brunette toward outside. "You promised me you'd show me snow!"

"Coming," Ib said softly as she pulled on a scarf. "Dress warm, Mary. I don't want you to catch cold."

"I won't catch cold," Mary waved the statement off. "I'm still not completely like you."

"All the more reason," Ib said as she tried to pull Mary back. However, Mary was stronger and managed to get Ib closer to the door.

Ib pulled with both hands, digging her heels into the ground, but with only socks on her feet, that was about as useful as trying to pull a half ton horse. Fortunately, before Mary could throw the door open and rush out in only a nightgown, Ib managed to get her grip on the banister. Mary was stopped, pulling as hard as she could. Ib could feel her muscles straining as she pulled against her sister. The blonde continued to struggle, whining almost like a puppy as she tried to see the glorious white precipitation coming down from the sky.

"Mary," Ib said as she continued to fight against Mary's superior strength. "Please come back. The snow will still be here when you get dressed."

"Promise?" Mary turned, her head cocked like a puppy. Her face was twisted into a hopeful, yet sorrowful look. Ib could feel her heart shatter there, but she had to keep up her resolve. She didn't want Mary getting sick. It was awful when Mary got sick because Ib had to mix a little bit of ink and paint into all of her medicines to make them take effect.

"I promise," Ib said, putting a hand on each of Mary's shoulders. "But, you won't get to go out at all if you don't get dressed properly."

"Okay!" Mary grabbed Ib in a tight hug, the brunette sucking in a breath that was quickly squeezed out of her by her adopted sister. Mary grinned wide as she pulled Ib up the stairs to their bedroom to get dressed.

No one quite knew where Mary came from. All anyone remembered was that Ib had an adopted sister. They also remembered that the two were nigh inseparable. They did everything together, even bathing and sleeping. While it was understand able and even cute when they were nine, it wasn't exactly normal when they were both eighteen. Of course, neither sister would claim any oddities with it. As far as they were concerned, they were the only ones whose opinions mattered to them.

Of course, it wasn't as if they had anyone else to befriend or interact with. Both were loners by nature, only enjoying each other's company. It could be traced back to a visit to an art exhibit, but no one could understand why. Mary had a slightly better idea than Ib did, but she certainly wasn't going to tell anyone anytime soon. It was noted, however, that after the incident, Ib was a much quieter child than she was, which is saying something.

Ib struggled to pull Mary up the stairs, managing to reach their room and drag the blonde over to her bed, which was right next to Ib's. She moved over to the dresser, pulling out some winter clothes for Mary. The blonde threw her nightgown off and began to put on the winter clothes. Ib couldn't help but stare, quickly looking away whenever Mary's gaze fell on her. She sighed quietly, smiling as Mary finally pulled on her winter clothes.

"Hurry!" She pulled Ib once again. "Snow is fallen and I want to eat it! Make sure we have syrup!"

"Don't trip," Ib warned the blonde, who practically leapt down the stairs, scaring Ib half to death as she was pulled along for the ride. By the time they reached the bottom, Ib was very glad she didn't have to change her underwear and thus delay Mary further from her adventure outside.

Mary practically yanked the door off its hinges with the force she exhibited to open it. Ib was pulled out into the snow, landing face first in the foot high frozen white water. She looked up with a slight glare, though it softened as she saw Mary fall back on the snow, simply letting it fall on top of her. It was almost a silly thing, watching an eighteen year old lying on the ground, her mouth open as snow fell into it. Ib knew she hadn't ever lost that childlike nature she'd had when they were kids. But, it was more of a sad thing as this was actually the first snow she'd ever experienced. Snow didn't come often to this town and Ib could remember that the last time it had was before she had first met Mary.

She felt… wet. Almost like she was lying in water or something. Of course, she couldn't feel much under her clothes, but she could feel on her bare hands that it was wet. But, it was more like a fine powder. It glinted in the soft sunlight, falling down like that snowglobe Ib had gotten her for her twelfth birthday.

After about twenty minutes, she finally spoke after her transfixion on the snow.

"It tastes like water!" She exclaimed, licking her lips. "Ib, bring me some syrup!"

"I'm not squirting it into your mouth," Ib giggled slightly. "You'll have a sugar crash. I'll scoop you some up."

"Find me some of that yellow kind," Mary said. "It's my color after all!"

"I don't think you want the yellow snow," Ib made a face. "It's not syrup."

"Then what is it?" Mary sat up, looking at Ib with that confused puppy dog look she gave when something confused her.

"It's…" Ib tried her best to think of a way that she could properly tell her what the yellow colored snow was meant to signify without being disgusting. "Not good."

"It's snow, so it has to be," Mary stated matter-of-factly.

"I think you should avoid it," Ib said, sighing as she crouched down and faced Mary. "I promise it isn't pretty."

"Well, I'll just take the you snow," Mary said, causing the brunette to gain a confused look of her own.

"The you snow?" Ib asked.

"Yeah," Mary pulled Ib down face first into the snow and licked the snow off of her cheek. "This one seems to taste better anyway."

Ib stammered out a mixture of shocked and screeching syllables that didn't make real words at all, her face turning a brilliant shade of red to match her eyes and cause Mary to giggle uncontrollably.

"You're so cute when you blush," She said.

"I-It's because the cold is affecting my skin," Ib said her excuse quietly.

"Cold affects people's skin?" Mary asked. "Does it make it more sensitive? Does that mean if I did something else, it would feel more sensitive too?"

"N-No!" Ib quickly shut down that idea, her face even redder. "It j-just makes your skin turn red or blue. It's just that you can't stay out too long."

"But… I want to play in the snow," Mary said with a disheartened tone.

"W-Well, we can," Ib said, wiping her face of the snow on it. "But, not more than an hour or too at a time. I don't want you to get sick."

"I won't get sick," Mary proclaimed.

"You've never been in the snow before, so how do you know?" Ib asked, moving over to Mary. "I'm just looking out for you, okay?"

"Okay," Mary said, sighing as Ib's arms wrapped around her. "Well, let's play as much as we can here, alright?"

"Sure," Ib smiled softly. "Let's build a snowman… though, this snow is pretty dry, so it will be hard."

"How can snow be dry?" Mary asked. "It's frozen water."

"Well, sometimes it's more slushy than this," Ib said. "But, this is like powder. So, I don't think we can build a snowman this time. Maybe the next time it snows, it'll be wetter."

"Okay," Mary said. "Well, I have something I want to see."

"What?" Ib asked in confusion, jumping with a little shriek as Mary scooped a handful of snow down her shirt.

"I wanted to see if you could feel the snow," Mary said with an innocent smile. Ib glared at her adoptive sister, getting a handful herself. She pulled the back of Mary's jacket back, dumping snow inside. Mary jumped as well, yelping with the cold.

"Why'd you do that?" She asked as Ib began giggling.

"You did it first," Ib said.

"Well, I'm going to do it last," Mary said, jumping for Ib, who dodged. Mary began to chase her around the yard, the two wading through the snow. Ib managed to stay ahead of Mary, making sure the blonde couldn't catch her. Fortunately for her, Mary wasn't the fastest when it came to moving through foot high snow. Of course, that didn't stop Ib from moving, giggling like she was half her age. After ten minutes, Mary stopped, panting and putting her hands on her knees.

"Looks like you couldn't catch me, slowpoke," Ib giggled, standing a bit away from her. However, Mary retaliated by giving a spectacular tackle to bring Ib down to the ground. The snow cushioned their fall, Mary rubbing some snow on Ib's face.

Ib sputtered and spit it out, looking up at her sister with a pout, the blonde grinning with green eyes practically sparkling.

"I quite like that look on you," Mary said with a triumphant laugh. "It suits you well."

"Well, it's your turn," Ib said, flinging snow into Mary's face. The blonde stared at her, stunned at the action as Ib giggled at her. Mary leaned in close to Ib's face, so close their noses were touching. Ib paused, wondering what Mary would do next.

Her answer came as Mary's lips met hers in a quick peck that hitched her breath hard. She stared, wide-eyed, at her sister, who grinned in triumph. Ib felt a bit bashful at that moment. That bashfulness was immediately erased as she felt her snow pants open and a handful of snow and scooped inside. The cold shock caused her to yelp and shimmy, trying to get it out. However, with Mary's weight on her, pinning her down, all she could do was squirm.

"C-C-C-Cold." She said, shivering like she'd swallowed an entire iceberg.

"That's payback," Mary grinned. "Let's play some more."

"H-H-How about we get a hot bath and warm up?" Ib asked, her teeth beginning to chatter as the two lied there in the snow.

"Aww, but we just got here," Mary whined. "Let's play some more."

"Mary, I've got cold snow in places I should not have cold snow," Ib sent a glare to Mary, who retained a pouting look.

"Don't be such a baby," She said. "We're lying in the snow. Of course you'll get snow in your pants."

"You put it there!" Ib practically shouted at the blonde, who shrugged.

"Alright, alright," Mary sighed. "But, we better go out again later."

"We will, I promise," Ib said. "Now, please get off me. My body's fallen asleep."

"If I have to," Mary stood up. She waited while Ib picked herself up, shaking her body to relieve numbness. She walked into the house, the blonde following her. Hanging up her wet clothes, she walked to the bathroom, stripped, and wiped off any snow on her, sending one more glare at the cheekily grinning Mary.

"Now, it's not going to feel good when we get in, so just take it slow," Ib said as she finally noticed Mary shiver slightly. Ib turned on the water, a now nude Mary wrapping her arms around her.

"Warm me, sister," She said, resting her head on Ib, who blushed slightly. It wasn't often Mary was this up close and personal. Of course, the cold feeling on the entire back of Ib's body let her know otherwise. She had long gotten over Mary developing a bit faster. Jealousy faded years ago and she quite enjoyed being held by, or sometimes being the one to hold, Mary. Her sister thoroughly enjoyed physical contact as well having been practically deprived of it before she had become Ib's best friend and sister.

"The water's warm now," Ib's mouth reacted faster than her brain wanted it to. Mary tried to pull her into the shower, only to jump back out with a shriek. She held Ib close, shuddering into her shoulder.

"It's like a thousand needles shoving themselves into my skin," Mary said.

"That's because you are so cold," Ib explained to her sister. "We've never really had a cold winter here so your body is cold on the outside. That makes the hot water feel even hotter."

"I get it," Mary said. "How long until I'm warmed up?"

"I don't know," Ib said. "If you had a heat source, you could get there faster."

"Good thing I've got one now," Mary wrapped herself tightly around Ib, squeezing the brunette close to her.

Ib's face turned red from lack of air and the closeness of the hug. She was always easily flustered by Mary's displays of affection. She may not have even been doing them on purpose, but they sure had an effect on Ib.

"I think it's shower time now," Mary said, pulling Ib into the shower with her. She didn't release Ib from her hug, even as the water poured down around them. It caused Ib to relax, Mary slumping over her.

"Do you remember the first time I got a bath with you?" Mary asked quietly.

"You were scared you were going to melt," Ib said almost as quiet. "I'm glad you didn't."

"I'm so glad you're my sister," Mary said, leaning her head against Ib's shoulder. "If it wasn't for you, I'd…"

"You have me now," Ib leaned back against her. "And, it doesn't matter what would have been. We have each other now."

"I know," Mary said, her long blonde hair seeming to enrapture both of them. "But… still…"

"It's okay." Ib planted a quick peck on Mary's cheek. "I love you. I always did."

"I know," Mary said. "But, I still feel bad sometimes.

"That's why you've got me too," Ib said softly. "To make you feel good."

"Make me feel good some more, Ib," Mary softly choked out. Ib blushed the slightest bit. She knew of several ways that phrase could go, but she also knew which one was probably best for her at that point.

"After our shower," Ib said as she grabbed the shampoo bottle. After an awkward attempt at washing themselves off, the two exited to their shared bedroom. Ib half guided, half pushed Mary onto the bed. Hair dried and wrapped in towels and nude bodies dry, the two embraced over the covers, holding each other in a tangled mess of limbs.

A blue rose overlooked their bed, sitting in a full vase of water. Several drawings were scattered around it, almost as if guarding it. They seemed lifelike, drawn to guard the rose with their lives. The rose had been there for years, found by Mary shortly after she met Ib. Both treasured the rose, seeing it as a sign of their sisterhood. Ib had even named the rose Garry after her favorite painting she'd seen at the Guertena art exhibit the last and only time she was there. She didn't know why she felt that name. It just felt… fitting.

Teary green eyes stared into red and red stared back. Their noses touched, breath ghosting across the lips of the other. Ib simply held Mary, who held back, both hoping time would stand still in its eternal crossing of the flow.

The two stared at each other, Ib deciding to make the first motion. Her lips stretched forward, kissing Mary's in a chaste fashion. Mary's breath hitched slightly as a sob choked out. She looked deeper into Ib's eyes, pulling Ib closer as she put her forehead to Ib's.

Ib had always noted Mary's lips had the slightest taste of paint to them. It wasn't something that made her detest Mary in the slightest. She always noted it when she kissed Mary in the two years she's kissed her lips. Mary would always shrug, kissing Ib again to quiet her. Ib liked the taste; it made her know a little more about Mary. Besides, it wasn't like it was Mary's only good quality. It was simply one of the ones Ib liked the most.

"This feels good." Mary said, sighing in contentment as Ib's arms stayed wrapped around hers. She saw the small smile come to Ib's lips as she kissed Mary once again, holding her close. The two remained like that for a while, simply enjoying each other's touch. Nothing else was needed; simple contact was enough for them. Even a small hug could help them sometimes if that was what was needed.

"We should put some clothes on, shouldn't we?" Ib asked once she'd felt that enough time had passed. Mary simply pulled the covers over them both in response, snuggling up to her sister. She closed her eyes as she lied down, Ib smiling at her. She closed her own eyes, looking at Mary one last time. They would have more fun later. She was glad to have fun with her, no matter what form it took.

She only wished the nightmares wouldn't plague either of them. Since the first time she'd met Mary, both had the oddest of nightmares. It was said that nightmares couldn't be similar, but the two of them always had the same kind of nightmares. No one could explain it, no psychologist or doctor. Tonight, however, they would probably not suffer them after the contentment they held with each other.

Peaceful, quiet sleep claimed the two, holding each other close as they slumbered on, content in each other's arms. Their dreams were of each other, soft and sweet.

* * *

So, this story was something I was inspired to write after rewatching Markiplier play Ib. I've always liked the character of Mary and I always wanted a way to save all three. But, since you can't, I suppose I'll just have to wonder. I also wanted an IbXMary story that wasn't... disgusting or odd like a couple of the ones I perused through on this site were. This story, however, is still in the Together, Forever ending. There are some changes, but I'll save going into them for if I continue this. Let me know if you want me to continue this.


End file.
